A kiss from a proper mermaid
by Rubiie
Summary: Let's say that instead of Philip and Syrena, Scrum got himself a mermaid. A proper mermaid. ScrumXTamara
1. White Cap Bay

"There ain't much been given to me in my brief, miserable life, there's the truth in it, but by God, I'll have it said that Scrum had himself a kiss from a proper mermaid!" Scrum struggled free of his fellow pirates. He leaned in closer to hear Tamara's song.

"My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold," The mermaid's voice grew louder, " There is nothing that can console me, but my jolly sailor bold."

Soon, other mermaids began to rise up from the water around the dingy. Tamara began to swim away from the boat, Scrum scrambled towards the side of the boat. Tamara placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him closer to her.

Scrum couldn't believe his luck, a kiss from a proper mermaid. Tamara smiled up at him and pulled him closer towards the water. His head was now completely submerged. Tamara opened her mouth and bared her fangs.

Scrum screamed and wrenched free of her grip. The rest of the men on the dingy whirled round to look at him. Tamara screeched and jumped out of the water, taking one of the men with her.

That's when all hell broke lose. The other mermaids screeched and leaped back into the water. The men on the shore ran into the water with the net. The mermaids began to smash the boat, Scrum pulled out his cutlass and began to hack at the mermaids.

Meanwhile, Jack was running up to the lighthouse. There was too many mermaids, there was dozens, perhaps hundreds of mermaids. And would they be lucky enough to catch one? Probably not. The dingy was already smashed.

Scrum started swimming towards the shore. It was a slim chance that he would make it back to shore, but he sure as hell was not going to stick around in mermaid infested water and end up one if their dinners. Thee was a loud explosion. Scrum turned around: the lighthouse. Jack must have thrown the whale oil onto the fire.

He could hear more screeching. The mermaids were swimming _towards _the shore. His slim chance at surviving was now gone. However the mermaids weren't interested in grabbing any sailors and dragging them to his watery death. Scrum was carried in the current made by the all the mermaids swimming inland, in his haste, he grabbed the closest mermaids arm. He may not have been blessed with much, but for once he had been given a chance to prove himself to the captain.

"Captain! We caught one!" A pirate yelled for Blackbeard.

"Have you now?" Blackbeard strode over to them. "Let's see her then."

The pirate dragged the net onto the beach and began unraveling the net.

"Yeah, caught yourselves a real mermaid, Scrum, are you gonna sing for us again?" A pirate in the back called out.

"I caught one all by meself, thank you very much!" Scrum held on tightly to the mermaid, who was now struggling feebly to get away from Scrum. Scrum looked at the mermaid. "And the queen too!"

Blackbeard eyebrows shot up in astonishment. "Well done Scrum, turns out you aren't completely useless after all. You!' Blackbeard pointed to one of the zombies. "Go get the container, fill it with sea water, and put the creature in it! And you!" Blackbeard pointed at Scrum. "If you let go of her, I'll kill you."

Scrum nodded, several other crewmen ran to grab hold of Tamara. She hissed at them and struggled.

The zombies brought out the container several minutes later, filled it with sea water and dumped Tamara in it. They slammed the lid down before she could make an escape.

"Jack!" Blackbeard yelled. "Where be our heading?"

Jack took out his compass. "Er...that...no...this way."

"Are you completely sure about that?' Angelica raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes."

Blackbeard clapped his hands. "Go then."

The zombies looked at one anther, shrugged, then picked up Tamara's container and followed Jack.

Scrum stared at Tamara. The mermaid bared her fangs at him. She was breathtakingly beautiful, even when she was angry. _"All I wanted was a kiss" _Scrum thought miserably.

How did he even end up here again? One minute he was in England, playing his guitar, having a few laughs and now he was following Blackbeard and Jack Sparrow _and _Angelica into a jungle with a mermaid he had just had a hand in capturing.

* * *

><p>Questions? Comments? Anything else?<p>

By the way: anyone out there interested in beta-ing? I'm in dire need of one.

And Lastly: I want to clear something up, people, please stop saying the mermaids are vampire/fish/things. They aren't vampires. If anything their fangs are like fish on the bottom of the ocean floor like the angler fish. They'd need those teeth to eat men! Why would they be vamps if they can go out in the sun and not sparkle and or burst into flames? Sorry, but I just had to say that.


	2. Passion fruit

Scrum looked hopelessly at the mermaid in the glass container. After a while she had given up hissing all together and was lying there looking...pitiful.

"She's not very talkative? Is she?" Jack said, not looking up from his compass.

"Can mermaids survive in there?" Scrum asked, glancing back at Tamara. "Won't she get hot or anything?"

Jack shrugged. "Beats me."

"We don't need her until after she gives us a tear. Do you think we'd actually be nice to her?" Angelica pushed past the two of them. "We're not here to make friends with fish."

"She ain't really a fish. She's half human innit." Scrum mumbled. "Judging by the tail they're more...jellyfish..."

Tamara glared at him hopelessly.

Blackbeard held up a hand. "We'll stop here for now. Jack, I want a word with you."

Scrum walked over to Philip. "How's your head?"

Philip shrugged. "The throbbing has subsided slightly."

"Yous lucky you didn't go deaf, or get a shrapnel in ya." Scrum picked a mango from a nearby tree and offered some to Philip.

He shook his head. "They're pretty, even if they _are _deadly." Philip took a closer look at Tamara. "It's amazing how the water is the defining line between fish and human."

"Yeah they are, it is" Scrum smacked Philip on the hand with his sword. "But I found her first. Get your own mermaid."

Tamara raised an eyebrow at him and turned away.

"Oh, no I'm not- hang on, she, she can't breathe." Philip grabbed the lock on her container.

"'Course she can breathe, she's a fish." Scrum said bluntly.

"No, there isn't _enough _water. Where's the key?" Philip grabbed Scrum's sword and broke open the lock.

"What are you doing?" Angelica stormed over to him.

"She's dying. She can't breathe."

Scrum mentally slapped himself. How could he not have thought that?

While Angelica and Philip were arguing with one another, Tamara was taking the opportunity to try to crawl out of the container. Scrum was watching her, unsure if he should slam the lid down or watch what would happen with a mermaid on the loose. He went with the latter and gently(ish) pushed Tamara back into the container and slammed the lid closed. Tamara hissed at him which got the attention of Philip and Angelica.

"She was trying to escape." Scrum shrugged.

"She wouldn't escape f you just let her have some air!" Philip shot a dirty look at Angelica.

Angelica rolled her eyes. "We are _not _here to play nice with mermaids. Move out!"

The zombies picked up Tamara's container and followed Jack deeper into the jungle. Philip glared at Scrum.

"You didn't have to slam it on her."

"Angelica would have skinned me if I let her escape."

"She's a human too."

"Half human." Scrum pointed out.

* * *

><p>Later that night, they stopped again. The zombies had gone off to do whatever the zombies did, Angelica and Blackbeard were whispering to one another. Jack lent down to look at Tamara.<p>

"She's the feisty one isn't she?"

"I don't think it's polite to keep referring to her as "she." Philip muttered.

"I think you're right missionary-man." Jack propped open the container's lid. Tamara gasped for air. "Lovey, we, missionary-man, Scrum and I would like to know: do you have a name?"

The mermaid took several deep lungfuls of air before answering. "Tamara."

Jack grinned. "My, that is a pretty name. You know, I am a captain of a magnificent vessel."

Tamara smacked him. "You." She pointed at Scrum. "You." She shook with rage, unable to say anything else.

"Now, I only did it to keep you safe." Scrum held up his hands. "Blackbeard might have killed you if I hadn't stopped you."

"Or Angelica." Jack said over his shoulder. "No, lovey, do tell, you mermaids. Can you, you know-"

Tamara smacked him again before he could say anything else.

Philip lent down closer to Tamara. "Are you hungry, do you want anything to eat?"

Scrum mentally slapped himself again. This was suppose to be _his _mermaid. _Not _Philips. Scrum had grabbed Tamara _not _Philip. Damn missionary-man.

"Men usually. Fish. Seaweed." Tamara said.

"Ah, so you're compliant when you're hungry." Jack smiled. Tamara looked like she was about to smack him again.

"What about fruit?" Scrum pipped up. The others looked at him. "Well, we might as well try."

Philip nodded. "I'll go, Jack you-"

"No, I'll go." Scrum interrupted, eager to do something for Tamara. "I'll go find something."

* * *

><p>Scrum looked up in the trees. He already had a mango, a papaya and a jackfruit, yes that's a fruit, gathered up in his coat, but he needed something else. He squinted and noticed something red up in a tree. A passion fruit.<p>

Scrum climbed up the tree uneasily. He hadn't climbed a tree since he was a young boy back in England. He reached up for the fruit while clinging on to the tree. "Perfect."

He came back to the group looking pleased with himself. Jack and Philip were waiting with Tamara. As soon as she saw him she lifted herself up out of the container so she was leaning against the side. "Here, try this first." Scrum held out the papaya first. Tamara took it gingerly, sniffed it, then took a bite off it. She shook her head.

"Yeah, not everyone likes it, try this." Scrum held out the jackfruit, fortunately Scrum hadn't gone and picked one of the bigger jackfruits, he doubted that Tamara would be able to lift a fully grown jackfruit. Scrum plunged his dagger into it and opened it, a fowl smell emitted from the fruit. Tamara hissed.

Scrum threw it over his shoulder. "Sorry about that. Um, ok. How about a mango?"

Tamara took the mango and bit into it. The juice dripped down her chin, Scrum moved to wipe it off, amazingly Tamara didn't object. Tamara looked up at Scrum and offered him some of the mango.

Scrum shook his head. 'I want you to try this next." He held up the passion fruit.

"I don't need you telling me what to do." Tamara said indignantly.

"I' not telling, I'm just _suggesting_."

Tamara looked at him. "You still want that kiss, don't you?"

"Well...no...yes...maybe."

Tamara grabbed the passion fruit.

"You're not going to kiss me are you?" Scrum said, slightly crestfallen.

"No." Tamara said with a hint of joy in her voice. She returned her attention to the passion fruit. "Why didn't you give this one to me first?" Se said after taking a large chunk out of it.

Scrum motioned to the rest of the fruit bundled up in his coat. "I have more."

"Give them to me."

"Only if you kiss me first."

"You drive a hard bargain."

"Pirate." Scrum grabbed one of the passion fruit. "You want it, you give me a kiss."

Tamara sighed. "Fine, come here."

Scrum leaned towards her, with his eyes closed, hardly believing his luck. A kiss from a proper mermaid. Tamara pecked him on the cheek. She smiled at him brashly.

"That wasn't a kiss." Scrum said.

"You didn't specify. Fruit now." Tamara held out her hand.

* * *

><p>Thank you very much pirate-jedi-ninja-in-training and snakeboy33!<p>

Ok, so parts of the story line follows like Philip and Syrena's and in some parts, it doesn't. But one thing is certain: I love Scrum and Tamara. I didn't really like Scrum to begin with, but he's growing on me. And Tamara, she's kickass.

http:/www./siteimages/potc4mermaid_ - The mermaids tails and hair looks like jellyfish!


	3. Chalices & wooden legs

Scrum woke up that morning with a mermaid staring at him. He blinked several times before he remembered everything that happened in the last several days.

"You drool in your sleep." Tamara said. Her container had been left open as the zombies were now also watching her at night as well as carrying her.

Scrum stretched. "Do mermaids sleep?"

Tamara nodded.

"How?"

"Like dolphins."

"And how do dolphins sleep?"

"With half of their body and mind asleep and half awake." Tamara said as if it were the most obvious thing ever. "What? Did you think we'd be fully asleep underwater?"

"Yes." Scrum admitted.

"No, a sleeping mermaid is an easy target. There wouldn't be as many of us."

"Because we all need _more _mermaids in the world." Scrum said sarcastically, remembering White Cap Bay.

"I'm sorry." Scrum noticed the hurt look in Tamara's eyes.

She lowered herself back into her container and didn't look at him again.

Scrum mentally slapped himself. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. The mermaid would never warm up to him if he was going to keep insulting her.

"Jack." Scrum clapped Jack on the shoulder.

"Aye."

"I've got some, um...woman problems." Scrum whispered.

"Well you came to the right person." Jack sat down on a rock with his legs crossed. "Tell me all about _her_.

"What do you mean _her_?" Scrum asked. "Do you think I...that I'm..." He struggled for the word, flustered by what Jack was implying.

"The mermaid." Jack said dryly.

"Oh, that _her, _yes. She...I...keep saying the wrong things to her."

"Yes, I've noticed." Jack stared off into the distance for a moment. "You can play the guitar aye?"

Scrum nodded.

"Then play her a little tune, women love being serenaded. And ask her how she is. And pretend to listen to her. And flirt with her. Constantly. Do not take no for an answer. That's what I do."

"I think I'll start with the guitar fist." Scrum and Jack watched Angelica walk past. Jack stared at her longingly. "You never told me what went on between the two of you."

"Oh, you know, we shared a wonderfully passionate short period of time together, I left her broken hearted and distraught. She then decided after many years that it would be a good time to track me down, pretend to be me, take me aboard the _Queen Anne's Revenge _and then made me go around after a bloody mermaid."

"Don't talk about her like that." Scrum said defensively.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Looks like missionary-man is muscling in on your territory."

"What do you mean he's his son and he's the one god?" Tamara asked missionary man aka Philip.

"God had a son, who is part of him and-" Philip trailed off when he saw the look Tamara gave Scrum.

"Oy, Philip." Jack motioned to Philip. He got the hint and left Scrum and Tamara.

The mermaid raised an eyebrow at Scrum. "Come to insult my people some more?"

"No. I came to tell you that I wasn't thinking when I said that, and I'm sorry."

"Yet you still captured me."

"You can curse out pirates if you like." Scrum said hopefully.

"I think I shall." Tamara took a deep breath. "I think you pirates are horrible, nasty men and that they're only purpose in life is to be fish and mermaid food. You're rank and vile, you have no objection to killing your own, or mine, for personal gain, you drink too much, you're too loud, you have no honor, _and..."_

"And?"

"And you have no personal hygiene."

Scrum was very tempted to say "Well, what do mermaids know about personal hygiene?" But he thought better of it. Instead he smiled at her.

Tamara shrank back.

"What? Mermaids don't smile either?"

"Not unless we want a fight."

Scrum raised an eyebrow.

"Showing your teeth means you either want a fight with another mermaid or you're eating or your about to drag someone to their deaths." Tamara explained.

Scrum edged closer to her container. "Tell me more about mermaids."

"Only if you'll give me something in return." Tamara said, defiantly.

"And what does a mermaid want? Gold, jewelry, music?"

Tamara perked up when she heard the word music. "Yes, I want a song. With that stringed instrument you had with you earlier."

"A guitar?"

"Gui-tar. Yes. I've heard men play on their boats."

"Hang on, I'll be right back." Scrum jogged over to where the supplies were kept. He grabbed his guitar (hidden behind a sack of shot) and began to tune it.

Tamara waited patiently for Scrum to return.

"Any requests?"

"Something, I think, Spanish? Like the tune you played when that man was cast off and burned." The mermaid said it with absolutely no emotion whatsoever.

"What? You followed us all the way from England to White Cap Bay?"

"No." She said quickly, "Now play me something, pirate."

Scrum smirked and began to strum out a few notes before playing a random Spanish tune. Tamara watched his fingers roam over the chords intently. She swayed slightly in rhythm with the music.

"I do believe the song is over." Scrum announced. "Now, will you tell me more about you?"

Tamara's face darkened. "Play me another song."

"After you've told me about mermaids."

"Fine." Tamara sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." Scrum said, putting his guitar to the side and feeling brave enough to edge closer to Tamara.

Scrum felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. "Enough talking for one day lover boy, we've got to get moving."

* * *

><p>As always they cleared up their makeshift camp, hiding any evidence that they were there and went on their way. Scrum was glad that they had Jack and his compass, the jungle was bad enough with snakes, tarantulas and around somewhere Spaniards. That and Tamara made their progress slow to an almost crawl making them easier to be killed or something like that.<p>

Scrum looked back to see Philip wandering behind slightly. The young man looked tired and ready about to drop from heat exhaustion. _"__Good,"_ Scrum thought bitterly. All the missionary had done ever since being captured by Blackbeard was moan on about one's soul and convert people. And yet Scrum didn't completely hate the man. He was doing his life's calling just as Scrum was. Scrum double backed.

"How you holding up, bible thumper?" Scrum offered Philip a bottle of rum.

"Well enough." Philip said. "I'll be glad when this is over."

"Aye."

Philip took a swig of rum. "Did you just call me a bible thumper?"

"Me? No, I would _never_ call you a religious fanatic." Scrum said sarcastically.

Philip raised an eyebrow at Scrum.

"Lighten up a bit." Scrum punched Philip's arm and ran ahead before Philip could punch him back.

The missionary pushed Scrum from behind.

"I didn't think you church goers believed in violence." Scrum said, sounding reminiscent of Jack.

"Perhaps I've been spending too much time around pirates."

Scrum elbowed Philip in the ribs. Philip elbowed Scrum back. And for the second time that day, Scrum pushed Philip; however Philip lost his footing and fell into Tamara's container. The zombies dropped Tamara.

Jack turned around. "That's interesting." He said, noting the now completely human Tamara surrounded by shards of glass.

Angelica raised an eyebrow. "Ok, who did it?" Everyone pointed to Philip.

Philip blanched. "I...I...didn't."

"I did." Scrum took off his jacket and draped it around Tamara before Philip the Samaritan could. "I pushed him."

"You'll walk." Blackbeard said, looking directly at the mermaid.

Tamara held the jacket closed with one hand and tried to pull herself up with a low hanging branch. She fell. "I can't walk."

Blackbeard shrugged. "Then you die."

Tamara opened her mouth to protest. Scrum picked her up quickly.

"Let go off me." Tamara squirmed.

"You heard 'im. He said you walk or die."

"I _can't_ walk." Tamara growled.

"Exactly. But you can put your arms around me neck and make this a little easier on me." Scrum said, now fighting to keep hold of her.

Tamara squirmed again "Let go of me."

"Fine." Scrum said and promptly dropped her.

She glared up at Scrum; he followed Blackbeard as the man was wasting absolutely no time in getting to the fountain. The rest of the crew followed.

"Wait." Tamara said. "You can carry me Scrum. I'll let you."

"Ooh, you'll _let_ me carry you. I'm so honoured." Scrum rolled his eyes and picked her up.

Tamara put her arms around Scrum's neck and lent her head against his chest. "This heat is unbearable. I don't know how you humans deal with it."

Scrum chuckled.

* * *

><p>Tamara opened her eyes. She must have been asleep because she had had the most wonderful dream. She was back in the ocean with her sisters and a boat had just been sunk. It was an all you can eat buffet. She frowned. Mermaids didn't dream, in fact they <em>never <em>dreamed. They also were never completely asleep. Perhaps being on land she was now human in form. She shuddered, Tamara didn't like being human.

"How long was I asleep for?" Tamara whispered.

"About an hour or so." Scrum said and shifted Tamara in his arms. "You're quite cute when you're asleep."

"Cute? I'm cute?"

"Well yes, you were smiling. You must have had a nice dream."

"If I did, I can't remember." Tamara lied. "Thank you for the...the..." Tamara plucked at the coat, trying to find a word for it.

"Coat, you're welcome."

"It was very...nice of you."

"I couldn't let you go around naked could I?" Scrum asked.

"I think I can try to walk now."

Scrum let her down onto her feet and held onto her at the waist.

Tamara took a shaky step forward. "You humans, how do you deal with this? You move slowly on land

and even slower in the water."

"We think we move pretty fast on land. But we're not fish; we spend more time on top of water than in it."

"On your boats." Tamara noted.

"Yes. On our boats."

Tamara took another step forward. She stumbled slightly and Scrum's arms tightened around her. "I'm fine." She said.

Jack glanced over his shoulder. "Looks like the mermaid is finally warming up to Scrum."

"I don't want him getting too comfortable with that creature." Blackbeard said.

"Don't be so indifferent father; it may come in handy later." Angelica strode past them. She leaned over the edge of a cliff. "Jack, this is the way, isn't it?"

Jack glanced down at his compass. "Of course it is, but we should go around to the east."

"There is no time." Angelica pointed out.

"You're the one who insisted on bringing a bloody mermaid."

"Well the mutiny didn't help." Angelica spat back.

Jack put his face inches away from Angelica, "You walk like a girl."

"You would know."

"Alright, enough." Blackbeard raised his hands. "Jack, you will jump."

"What?" Jack's draw dropped.

"You heard me. You will jump and we will go over to the east side. Once you get the chalices' I'm sure you won't have any problems finding us with that compass of yours."

"And what if I don't jump?"

Blackbeard put his gun to his daughter's head. "Then I shoot her."

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

Jack swaggered over to the quarter master. "Will I live this jump?"

The quarter master took out the voodoo doll of Jack. The pirate wondered why the zombie had the doll in his pocket, but thought better of it. Best not to ask, unless he didn't want to survive the fall.

The zombie threw the doll over the cliff. Jack yelled. Luckily the doll didn't hit the rocks.

"You will live." Quarter master announced.

"Are you done?" Blackbeard said to Jack.

Jack nodded and looked over the side of the cliff.

"Good." Blackbeard pushed him off.

"Father, you weren't _really _going to shoot me, were you?" Angelica asked.

"Of course not."

* * *

><p>"Your accent." Tamara said, now being carried by Scrum again as her legs were still weak.<p>

"Yes. What about it?"

"I can't place it. The woman sounds…Spanish," Tamara decided after thinking for a few seconds, "Philip is an English man, probably Southern-"

"How can you tell that?"

"He pronounces his words. But your accent, I can't place it. Where are you from?"

"Grimsby, England." Scrum straightened up slightly as he announced his home-town.

"Never heard of it," Tamara said, unimpressed.

"It's up North."

Tamara shook her head.

"Where are you from anyway?" Scrum asked.

"The sea, obviously."

"Whereabouts in the sea?"

"I don't remember where it was exactly. All I remember was the water was blue and there were people talking and I couldn't understand them."

"Love, you're starting to get heavy, mind if I pass you over to Philip for a few minutes?" Scrum didn't wait for an answer. He stopped to let Philip to catch up to them then promptly dropped Tamara in Philip's arms.

* * *

><p>Jack stared up at the ship. His first thought was "An impressive vessel if I've ever seen one." His second was "How the hell did it get up there?" And thirdly. "All the riches in that boat." However Jack knew that if he took too many things he'd either be cursed or dead due to the ship being perched <em>on a bloody cliff<em>, or both. You know, because pirates like the dead to suffer just as much as the living.

Now comes the hard part; finding a way up. He could try finding a way up the cliff without having to climb up the side. But that might take too long. Or he could climb up using the vines. But some of those vines might be snakes, Jack realized. He sighed loudly.

Whichever option Jack chose, he got to the ship within nightfall. He walked carefully along the deck. Besides being _on a bloody cliff _the ship was about ready to fall to pieces. The captain's quarter's door had been left ajar. Jack pulled out his sword. Someone had been here before him.

Just like in the legends, the ship made Isla de Muerta look like a flea market. Gold, silver, jewels and other precious items were strewn everywhere. And in a king sized bed, lay Ponce de Leon's corpse.

"Be careful Jack." A voice rang out.

"Whose there?"

Barbossa was sitting on one leg in a chair in the corner of the room. "This boat's about to fall, lest we be careful about balance."

"Alright then, I'm just here to get them chalices, so if you'll be so kind Hector…" Jack began searching the room. The boat began to teeter to the right.

"Jack!" Barbossa yelled. "What did I just say to ye?"

"Be careful?" Jack said, still searching for the chalices.

Barbossa threw a floor candelabrum to the left side of the room, barely missing Jack's head.

"Oy." Jack threw a small box filled with jewels in it at Barbossa.

The older pirate glared at him. The boat began to groan and teetered dangerously to the right. Jack jumped onto the left side of Ponce's bed and Barbossa to the right. The boat was balanced for now.

"Oh, a map." Jack began to work on prying said map from Ponce's phalanges.

Ponce turned his head in Jack's direction. Jack let go off the map.

"Jack," Barossa whispered, "Don't touch anything."

"Right, er, shall we just have a look then?" Jack looked closer at the map Ponce was holding.

"The chalices are in this room." Barbossa said quietly.

"How do you know that?"

"Because, the boxes are on the floor." Barbossa pointed.

Jack jumped off the bed. He got down onto his hands and knees. "Aha." He said, holding the box aloft. "Got 'em."

Barbossa pulled out his pistol. "Give them to me Jack."

"No." Jack hugged the box to his chest.

They argued like this for several minutes before they settled on opening the box together.

"Stones." Jack said.

"Aye, the Spanish must have been here before us."

'Well that's just bloody fantastic." Jack sighed. "Any idea where the Spanish are?"

"I've got a feeling I do."

* * *

><p>"Does it hurt to know that you're sisters were hunted for their tears?" Blackbeard gestured to the mermaid skeleton with its arms tied to a tree in one of the pools.<p>

Tamara remained silent.

"Tie her up."

Philip let go of Tamara. "You can't do this, you'll kill her."

"The queen of the mermaids? I think I can kill her, perhaps if _she _dies her kind will shed a tear. Tie. Her. Up."

The zombies grabbed Tamara (who was screaming) by the arms and forced her into a pool of water. They grabbed her arms and tied her to the tree, same as her sister.

"She _really _is a feisty one. We'll have to work hard to get her to cry." Blackbeard walked away.

Scrum knelt by Tamara. "I'm so sorry about this."

"Then release me."

"I can't."

Tamara stopped struggling for a second to look him in the eye. "I _am_ the queen of the mermaids, and you _will _let me go."

"A queen." Scrum said out loud. "How do you become a mermaid queen?"

"This is not the place to ask me that!"

"Sorry."

Tamara struggled again before giving up completely. "The least you could do is remove yourself from my sight."

Scrum backed off quickly.

* * *

><p>Jack peered over a fern at the Spanish Camp. He glanced at Barbossa. "What are you doing?"<p>

"Planning an exit, that's what you do, isn't it?"

"Er. Yes. That's exactly what I do."

The two pirates crept forward. Jack had unofficially elected himself to grab the chalices as Barbossa had a wooden leg and well, Barbossa had a wooden leg. The Spaniard was rubbing grim of one of the chalices, he bent down to grab a clean cloth when Jack grabbed the other and hid under the table. The Spaniard looked around. "Could have sworn it was right there." He muttered to himself. While he wasn't looking, Jack grabbed the other chalice and stuffed it down his shirt.

And the Spaniard was none the wiser, that is until a whole Spanish army is waiting for you with loaded guns.

* * *

><p>Barbossa pulled off his wooden leg. Inside there was a bottle of rum.<p>

"I have got to get me one of them." Jack said. Barbosa passed him the leg, Jack accepted with difficulty since he was tied to a bloody palm tree. "So, how did you lose that fine leg of yours?"

"Back when you had left on your first journey to the fountain and I had the Pearl, everything was smooth sailing, no pun intended. But one day Queen Anne's revenge came upon us. We fought violently, but it was like the ship turned against us. The rigging came alive, it grabbed my leg but I could still reach my sword-"

Jack flinched and handed the leg back to Barbossa.

"I've got an idea," Jack said and scooted up the palm tree.

* * *

><p>For the many people who don't know whatwhere Grimsby is: it is a town located on the east side of England in a crevice. It's sort of like a fishing village, because they have docks and the some of the most dangerous tides in the world. If you've ever lived there you know that under no circumstances do you ever go into the sea by yourself or even on the beach for that matter.

And whenever there's a steroetype of Brits, they're usually Southern English and annunciate their words a bit _too _much. They also all play polo, drink tea, and hang out with queenie. Not all Brits are like that. They'd rather have a pint of beer than tea!

Mermaids baring their teeth: inspiration came from monkeys. They bare their teeth whenever they're threatened or about to have a brawl. Normally people are told not to smile with their mouths open around monkeys.

More reviews please? K?


	4. Vodoo priestess

Tamara felt even worse than when she was in that damned glass container. She was drying out. She would die without ever seeing her sisters again, and her sisters and most likely gotten another queen by now. Tamara frowned, if she were ever to escape this miserable fate, she would rip whoever the new queen was to pieces. She was queen, and she would always be queen. Had she not already proved that several times over? Had she not proved it when she had challenged the old queen to a fight? Had she not proved it when the old queen yielded and she had killer her anyway? There was no honour in yielding that was what Tamara thought anyway. She would rather be a dead mermaid than have to yield to a new queen and face the shame.

She looked over at Scrum; he was presumably asleep by now. "He's cute when he's asleep," Tamara thought to herself, "even if he does drool." She sighed. Dying all by herself with no one to talk to, sure Philip was a nice enough human, but Tamara had no use in talking to someone who believed in a god you couldn't see. Tamara smiled as she remembered when Calypso had been freed from human bonds, of course she wasn't actually there when Calypso had created the maelstrom, but every sea creature had felt it when Calypso returned. It was like calm had come over every one of them, like they were all her followers come to celebrate her return.

Scrum rolled over in his sleep and hit his head on a rock. "Ow," he said and sat up. Tamara stared at him. Scrum crept close to her. "I'm so sorry about this."

Tamara raised an eyebrow, "I'm still mad at you."

"If you give me one tear, I'll cut you free," Scrum offered.

That got Tamara's attention, "Would you?" Scrum nodded. "I'm not sure if I can cry."

"Think of something sad," Scrum offered, "like…one of your sisters dying?"

Tamara rolled her eyes, "Please, if they're dying they deserve it."

"Well how are we going to get a tear if you're so coldhearted?"

"Maybe you could sing, that's enough to drive anyone to tears," Tamara said, jokingly, "I've heard you sing before; it's enough to make birds leave their trees in terror."

"Ha, very funny my peerless lady," Scrum said.

Tamara laughed, it sounded like, what a poet would say "like a running river". Scrum would have said it was a gurgling sort of laugh that you wouldn't think Tamara had.

"Stop, my ribs hurt from laughing," Tamara tried to catch her breath.

"I didn't think that was very funny," Scrum said to himself, "but if it gets you to laugh, perhaps I could make you cry tears of laughter."

Tamara nodded, "Get Philip up, he's funnier than you."

Scrum felt hurt at that, _"So he's the good-looking and funny one?" _He thought. He kicked missionary man awake. "Ow," Philip said and rolled over, "What?"

"I need you to make Tamara laugh," Scrum said plainly.

"I would have thought you could have done that all by yourself," Philip noted.

"Apparently not," Scrum mumbled.

Philip got up with a bit more kicking and stumbled over to Tamara, "What is it that you think so funny about me?" He asked the mermaid.

"Tell me the story about that man, Jesus. The one where he tells that man to shut up," Tamara ordered.

Philip, trying to get the story over with quickly as possible, obliged with some comments added by Scrum. In the end, they had Tamara close to tears, but not close enough. Philip ran his hands through his hair. "I give up," He said and looked at Scrum.

"Tamara, are you ticklish?" Scrum asked.

"What? I don't think so," Tamara said, "What's ticklish anyway?"

Scrum brushed his hand over Tamara's ribs. She jerked away and giggled slightly. "Stop that," she said, suddenly becoming serious.

Of course, Scrum did the exact opposite and began to tickle Tamara's ribs. Philip held out the small phial close to Tamara's. "Got it," He said after a while. He put the stopper in and pocketed it. Scrum picked up his dagger and began cutting Tamara's ropes.

"Thank you," Tamara said rubbing her wrists, "Both of you. Blackbeard is going to kill you two though."

Scrum gulped, "You're welcome…"

Philip knelt down closer to Tamara, "It was a pleasure to get to know you Tamara, I will never forget you."

Tamara smiled and moved closer to Philip. Scrum pushed Philip out of the way. "That's enough from you Mr. Bible Thumping-sappy pants." Tamara giggled.

"Thank you Scrum."

"For what?"

"For carrying me through a jungle for days, giving me your jacket, playing me songs on your gui…tar…" Tamara said slowly, still not familiar with the word.

Scrum held out his hand. Tamara looked at it. "You're supposed to shake it."

"Oh," Tamara grabbed Scrum's hand. She lifted herself out of the water with some difficulty so that she was now eye to eye with Scrum. She brushed her lips lightly over his before diving under the water to return to the sea.

Scrum felt his lips, "Does that count as a proper mermaids' kiss?" He asked Philip.

* * *

><p>"I'll never understand you Jack Sparrow," Barbossa said, carrying one of the chalices and running after Jack.<p>

"No one ever does," Jack replied, "Give me the other chalice if you would Hector."

Barbossa raised an eyebrow. "Come on, you already know where the fountain is, just give me the bloody chalice and I'll meet you later!" Barbossa slapped the chalice into Jack's open palm, 'I'll be taking Gibbs with me, if you don't mind."

Later that day, Jack and Gibbs set out with two chalices tied to a wild pig. Nothing strange about that, nothing at all. Gibbs of course, was holding the pig's rope and Jack was leading with his compass.

* * *

><p>Angelica woke up that morning expecting to find a defeated mermaid half dead and willing to give them a tear, instead she found a mermaid gone and Philip rambling on about getting a tear from her in the middle of the night and letting her go.<p>

"I don't believe you," Angelica growled.

"It's true, I was there, I helped," Scrum said hopefully, "She gave me a kiss."

"Now I definitely don't believe you. Wait there while I go talk to father."

Blackbeard, who was already in a bad mood from trekking all over the jungle, was about ready to explode when Angelica told him. His face turned beet-red, Scrum would have found it funny if Blackbeard wasn't mad at him.

"You," Blackbeard pointed his sword at Scrum, "Let a mermaid go and expect me to believe you got a tear from her? What do you take me for, a fool?"

Scrum was very tempted to say yes. Instead he almost blubbed, "I'm telling the truth! All I've been trying to do this whole time is prove my salt and I've been getting stepped on! And it's not like you care at all what we think! What kind of captain doesn't care about his crew? As long as your ends justify your means, it doesn't matter what happens to anyone else, hell, you were willing to shoot your own daughter!" Scrum said and panted.

"Are you finished?" Blackbeard asked, not surprised in the least. Scrum nodded, "Good," Blackbeard said and sliced Scrum across his chest with his sword. Scrum looked down at his chest, dazed.

"If you survive that you'll know where to find us," Blackbeard said, "Move out, we've lost time and we need _another _mermaid."

"But he _is _telling the truth," Philip grabbed Blackbeard's coat sleeve.

"Touch me again boy and you'll lose that hand," Blackbeard growled, "I'll tell you something missionary, if it weren't for Angelica, you'd be dead a dozen times over already."

Scrum touched the cut on his chest with mild fascination, "I didn't know that it'd be so…red," he sank to his knees.

"Scrum, get up, come on, we've got to get you to the fountain," Philip tried to pull Philip to his feet but he was a lot heavier than Tamara.

Scrum shook his head, "You go, bring me back a souvenir, if I'm still here."

Philip looked worried, "No you have to come with me, come on, you're my mate, and I'm sure as hell not going to the fountain by myself."

"You won't be by yourself, you've got a bunch of pirates with you," Scrum pointed out.

"And a few zombies," Philip rolled his eyes.

"Go Philip, I'm not afraid to die, I got me mermaid's kiss, I'm a content man, granted a lot haven't been given to me, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Hey, who knows, I might even meet you in heaven someday."

"You're a good man, Scrum."

"You're a better one," Scrum admitted, he held out his hand and Philip shook it before turning and leaving with the other pirates. Scrum crawled closer to the pool where Tamara had been tied up. He splashed water onto his chest, he examined the cut closely, it wasn't very deep but it went across his whole chest and if it wasn't stitched up he'd either bleed out or die of infection. He stared miserably at the water.

Scrum squinted; he could have sworn that he'd seen a fish tail. Ok, now he was definitely sure that he'd seen a fish' tail. Tamara poked her head out from a crevice; she smiled up at him and swam up to the surface.

"You stayed," She said then noticed Scrum's chest, "You're hurt."

"It's just a scratch really," Scrum said sarcastically.

She gave him a look, "Do you want me to fix it?"

"Am I going to have to give you something in return? I know you; you don't ever do anything for free."

Tamara turned to leave, 'If you want to die…."

"Don't leave," Scrum said with difficulty.

"Scrum," She said quietly and poked him. Scrum looked at her.

"What?"

"I don't feel like I can let you die…It's odd, normally I would be happy to watch you die, or really anyone for that matter."

"Thanks, but you better hurry up and make a decision soon."

"I can take you to see her, if you like," Tamara said.

"Who her?"

"Calypso."

"Oh no, I heard what Jack had to say about her, no way am I going to ask her for help."

"Would you rather die?" Tamara asked.

"No."

Tamara pulled on his arm, "Then let's go."

"Tamara, I can't breathe underwater like you," Scrum pointed out.

"Oh right," Tamara pulled herself halfway out of the water and leaned closer to Scrum. She placed her hands on either side of Scrum's face and kissed him on the lips, a peck first, but then she felt more confident, before Scrum pulled away and started coughing.

Tamara let go off him, "Might be best if we go now, but I have to warn you about something…."

"Whatever it is can we talk about it later?" Scrum asked, Tamara nodded and pulled him under the water with her. Scrum wondered if she really was taking him to see Calypso or to feed him to her sisters. He looked up at her and almost screamed; she was _not_ the beautiful mermaid he had remembered. Where her blonde hair had been was replaced by what looked like, the oral arms and lapets of a jellyfish. She had gills as well and dull translucent webbing in between her fingers and arms. Then there was, of course, her tail, silver in colour, with scales that Scrum knew despite their delicate appearance were tough and sharp.

"Scrum, you can breathe," Tamara said to him. Then she noticed the look on his face, "Yes, that's the thing I wanted to tell you about…"

Scrum opened his mouth and choked at first before coughing and taking doing as Tamara said.

"You can talk too," Tamara pointed out.

"What thing? I don't see a thing," Scrum lied, he screwed up his face in thought, he believed that being underwater he wouldn't even have a voice, instead bubbles would come out, but he could talk quiet clearly. He also use to entertain the idea that mermaids had a more shrill sounding voice underwater, but of course, that was disproved too as Tamara's voice was as lyrical sounding as it was above the water.

Tamara gave him a patronizing look, "Don't play dumb, I know you were looking at my tail."

"I love your tail," Scrum made himself tighten his grip on her even though every fiber of his being was yelling at him to run, make that swim, away.

The mermaid shook her head and swam towards the mouth of an underwater cave. Scrum opened his mouth in surprise; surely the pressure should have killed him too? And there were fish everywhere that he had never even heard of; Tamara thankfully pointed them out to him.

"That's a frogfish be careful they might be poisonous to you humans," She pointed to a bright orange coloured fish with a vexillum on its head. Scrum watched as it lured a smaller fish close to it and snapped the fish into its mouth. Tamara smiled, "They're like anglerfish you've seen one of them, haven't you?"

Scrum shook his head. There were some other species he recognized though: a parrotfish, a triggerfish and a huge sunfish that swam past him as if he saw humans all the time.

"Tamara, how is it that all these fish are here and not eating one another? There isn't a reef around or something?" Scrum asked.

"It's her, she has a certain sway over the fish that come near her island," Tamara smirked, "Nearly there."

* * *

><p>Scrum took in a lungful of air once he reached the shore. Tamara sat on a nearby rock and wrung out her hair, "You can breathe underwater and yet you still act like you have to hold your breath?"<p>

"It's….just a subconscious thing," Scrum took off his jacket and handed it to Tamara, "How far is this Calypso anyway?"

Tamara shrugged, "I don't make a habit out of being on land."

"So you take me to a mysterious island with this," Scrum pointed to the wound beginning on his right pectoral and stretching down to his navel, "And expect me to find some bird that's who knows where?"

"I am right here," A woman said from behind Scrum, she was a good deal taller than Scrum with dark curly hair falling to her waist. She had dark brown eyes with kohl markings around them and was dressed like she was Jack Sparrow's sister.

"Calypso," Tamara bowed her head, "I did not know that you would-"

"Change forms? Aye, never again will I be Tia Dalma," Calypso glanced at Scrum, "This is him?" Tamara nodded, Calypso pulled out some bandaging from a bag she was carrying, "Take your shirt off."

"What?" Scrum said, folding his arms protectively over his chest.

"If you don't want to bleed out then take off your shirt and let me bandage it so you won't die of blood loss before I can stitch that up for you," Calypso ordered. Scrum took off his shirt and let Calypso wind the bandaging around his torso before snipping off an end and tucking the scissors and bandages back into her bag, which now that Scrum looked closer at it had crocodile teeth and crab claws attached to it.

"Now that's done, follow me." Calypso turned on her heals and walked into the jungle, Scrum looked at Tamara, she shrugged then jumped off the rock wearing Scrum's coat and followed Calypso into the jungle.

One short trip to through the jungle, they stopped at a raised house made out of wood overlooking the sea, Tamara stared at it, "You build boats _and _houses out of wood?" She asked Scrum.

"Well, yeah, normally we use brick or stone," Scrum breathed heavily, he was amazed he wasn't dead from blood loss yet.

"You humans will never stop amazing me."

Calypso climbed up the stairs and opened the door, "Come along now, you haven't much time left." Scrum followed.

From the outside, the building looked unimpressive, but from the inside it looked like a cross between a mansion and a voodoo parlor.

Tamara raised an eyebrow. Calypso smiled, "Being Tia Dalma made me realize that there are certain perks of being a voodoo priestess. Where did I put that…" Calypso walked into a room leading off of the hall in search of something.

"Why did you want to save me?" Scrum asked Tamara.

"Because you're so cute and eager to please me," Tamara said, "You make me laugh and I love it when you play me songs on your guitar. But you _are_ so stupid sometimes…"

Scrum frowned, "I'm stupid?"

"No, not stupid really, just clueless, like a puppy. You're different than most men; you're quite persistent, like when you wanted to carry me and whenever Philip comes near me-"

Scrum scoffed. "I know you like him."

"Not in the way that you think, would I bring him here if it were him that had that lovely…laceration?" Tamara asked.

"Yes," Scrum said.

Tamara shook her head and walked up to him; she placed her hands on his shoulders, reached up and kissed him softly on the lips, "My jolly sailor bold, you doubt yourself."

Calypso came back holding needle and thread, "Scrum, lay down." Tamara let go off Scrum and blushed slightly. Calypso motioned to a table.

Scrum lay down and stayed stock still while Calypso unwrapped his bandages, "You've been cut by a voodoo sword," Calypso pointed out, "I think it might be best if you were…unconscious while you are with us."

"Why, is it going to hurt?" Scrum asked stupidly.

"It is not pleasant," Calypso said, her accent slipping slightly into Jamaican for a second.

Tamara pushed Scrum's hair away from his face and nodded, "It'd be for the better if you were."

"If you say so," Scrum said.

Blackbeard studied the phial closely; Philip stared at him, "See, I told you I was telling the truth."

"All right missionary, you're god doesn't allow you to lie, so I'll trust you this time, seeing as we have failed to procure another mermaid." Blackbeard shot a look at Jack, who was waving the chalices around stupidly. "If this doesn't work,"

"You'll do the same to me as you did to Scrum," Philip finished for him.

Jack stopped playing with the chalices for a second, "Where is dear Scrum anyway?"

"Most likely dead," Blackbeard said indifferently.

"What?" Jack dropped the chalices, his care free manner suddenly gone, "What did you do to him?"

"Cut him up like a Christmas ham." Angelica picked up on of the chalices and studied it carefully.

* * *

><p>If anyone is confused about my description of mermaids, there's a link in my profile, I know my description of a mermaid is bad.<p>

I didn't want to use the same kind of way to get a tear from a mermaid as the movie did with Philip and Syrena. I thought Tamara mocking Scrum would be much more fun. Plus I'll let you guys fill in the part where Jack, Gibbs and the wild pig met up with Blackbeard because I can't remember what Jack said to Blackbeard during that scene.

So, will Scrum survive said laceration? Will Calypso be able to save him with her godly and voodoo powers? What does Tamara see in Scrum anyway?


	5. Rum & feathers

Calypso looked up at Tamara, "If you let him live, he will be your downfall."

"I don't care."

"You don't care that you'll have to give up everything?"

"It's nothing that I can't get back," Tamara said sternly.

"By sheer force and violence?" Calypso unwrapped the bandaging around Scrum's torso carefully.

Tamara grabbed Calypso's wrist, "I'll do that, and you just make him better."

"_You _just remember the price you'll have to pay," Calypso wrenched her wrist out of Tamara's grip.

* * *

><p>Scrum opened his eyes slowly, was it just him or was everything much brighter? He tried to sit up slowly, but a gentle hand pushed him back down, "Be best if you lie down for a while," Calypso said.<p>

"Ow, ok…" Scrum looked up at the ceiling; Tamara appeared upside down and kissed his forehead. Scrum smiled up at her, Tamara's eyes were red but Scrum knew that she hadn't been crying, mermaids didn't cry out of sorrow.

"I didn't think you'd live through it," Tamara confessed and traced a symbol on Scrums chest.

"Yeah, personally I wasn't too sure either," Scrum propped himself up on his elbows and looked down despite Calypso's disapproving look, "What are these?" He said slowly, pointing to what appeared to be voodoo symbols cut into his chest and torso.

"I told you that you were cut by a voodoo blade, regular stitches wouldn't help you for long," Calypso said, touching one symbol lightly, a circle, "This one is to protect you from evil, this one," She pointed to a symbol in the shape of a circle with a cross in the middle with dots in each sector, is for your health."

Scrum felt nauseas looking at the carvings in his skin. He looked around the room, not having had a chance to when they first came in and noticed that there were chicken feathers scattered everywhere along with a bottle of white rum that had fallen over and cloth soaked in Scrum's blood. "What's all that for?" Scrum asked.

"An offering to Ghede Nibo," Calypso said.

"Who's that?"

"A voodoo god, I thought that he would be the most help. Thankfully I was right." Calypso bent down to clean up the mess.

"And all the blood?" Scrum asked, his voice raising a few octaves.

Tamara smoothed back Scrum's hair from his forehead, "It's nothing to worry about now if you just lie back down then the stitches won't burst open-"

Scrum held out a hand to stop her, "Please stop."

'You humans have such weak constitutions," Tamara noted.

"You mermaids just have strong constitutions."

"Well that _is_ true. Would you like something to eat?" Tamara offered. Scrum shook his head, "In a place like this who knows what she keeps in those jars."

"Crocodile eyes, newts, a couple of bats," Tamara said, missing the joke, "is…is Philip hurt too? Did Blackbeard cut him up too?"

Scrum groaned, "I forgot about him, God, he might be cut up by now, the way he talks to Blackbeard. We have to go back; I mean…Jack might be dead to. Blackbeard might have used him in the um…prolific ritual."

"Profane ritual," Tamara corrected him, "And you can't go anywhere for a while with those stitches."

"Tamara."

"No."

"Tamara…." Scrum whined.

"I said no," Tamara turned her back on Scrum.

"_Tamara…._"

"I said no and will you stop that, you sound like a spoiled child."

"Tamara this is really _really _important to me, if you cared about me as much as a fraction of what you care about Philip, you'd let me go."

"I do not care about Philip the same way I care about you," Tamara touched Scrum's cheek, "And that is why I will not let you go to the fountain."

Scrum gave her puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"_Please?_"

Tamara shook her head, "We'll go once you're feeling better." Tamara kissed Scrum on the forehead, "I promise."

Scrum smiled up at her and lay back down on the wooden table, it wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing he had ever slept on, but as he didn't trust Calypso as far as he could throw her, he didn't dare ask for anything more comfortable and because the stitches _could _burst at any moment, yes, best to lie back down.

However, Tamara would not be sticking around; she had more important things to do, like finding her sisters and tearing the new queen to pieces. Tamara had told Calypso to tell Scrum where she went if he awoke before she returned.

* * *

><p>Tamara waded out into the sea, stopping for a second to admire the sunset. She waded out a bit more before diving in headfirst; Tamara looked behind her, her legs already turning back into a silver tail. She smiled; it felt good to be in water again, not tied up or in a glass container, but to finally be back in the ocean. She turned back for a second, wondering if she actually should return to Scrum, he'd never be able to find her. But she had grown so accustomed to his little ticks and quirks that it almost seemed a shame to never see him again.<p>

Swimming along with the current, Tamara mulled over exactly what she was going to do, besides rip another mermaid limb from limb. Obviously storming in there would not be the best thing to do. Swimming in there and acting like she owned the place, which she still did, would not be a good idea either. Finally she came to the conclusion that to get back her crown she would have to wait a while, sneak in while they were gathering, and then challenge the new queen. Yes that sounded good, at least that was the best thing she could come up with on such short notice.

About 20 minutes later Tamara found the other mermaids loitering around a sunken ship. Some were lounging around on beds of seaweed; some were talking excitedly with one another. Tamara eyed up the new queen, though not getting a very good look at her as she was surrounded by other mermaids. Tamara took a seat on a nearby sea bed and waited patiently for the council to begin.

The mermaids surrounding the new queen dispersed. The other mermaids fell into a hush as the new queen turned around. A wave of rage came over Tamara, _"Marina,"_ She said through gritted teeth. The mermaid shushed her, not aware of whom Tamara was.

Marina looked at her fellow mermaids, "As you know, our great queen, Tamara, was taken by Blackbeard. I am honored to take her place as queen and will not let any more of my people be taken," Marina held her head proudly.

"_Cow,"_ Tamara thought, _"Never does anything that doesn't benefit her."_

The mermaids watched Marina's every move, "We shall be no longer hunted for our tears if there is no fountain," A few mermaids shifted excitedly.

"What are you suggesting?" Asked one of the mermaids, Tamara rolled her eyes; she had forgotten how stupid some of them were.

"I am suggesting that we get rid of the fountain of youth," Marina glared at the mermaid, "Today."

"Yes, that would be a good idea if Blackbeard wasn't already there, or the English…or the Spanish," Tamara said loudly. Every eye in the council room turned to look at her. Tamara in a sense, stood up, "It's true that I was captured by Blackbeard, and I am _disgusted _with you. _All _of you. I was captured and none of you tried to look for me?" Tamara shook her head, "I should kill you all right now, but all I want is to kill _you_." Tamara pointed to Marina.

"You're challenging me?" Marina asked incredulously, "You honestly think you can challenge me?"

Tamara shrugged, "I think I'm more fit to rule than you."

Marina bared her fangs and lunged for Tamara. The blonde grabbed her by the wrist easily and swung her into the ship's wall, and it made a deafening crack. Marina got straight back up and tackled Tamara and began tearing at her face. Tamara punched fruitlessly at Marina; she gave up and grabbed Marina by the hair.

The other mermaids were cheering them on. Marina wrenched free of Tamara's grip and punched her. Tamara grabbed Marina by the neck, Marina began gasping for breath. Tamara tightened her grip and with a final twist, Marina sank to the floor, her tail still moving. Tamara grabbed Marina's head and with a swipe of her nails, decapitated her.

Tamara held the head aloft, "I am your queen! Got that?" She screamed, the other mermaids nodded quickly.

* * *

><p>Scrum sat by the water's edge. "Of course she'd leave you Scrum, who would want you when they could have…someone better," He said to himself. Scrum held his head in his hands. His mermaid left and Philip, what about poor Philip? The boy couldn't survive without Scrum; he could barely go 3 hours without insulting someone. Scrum picked up the bottle of rum he had brought down with him. He looked at it before throwing it into the ocean. A hand reached up and grabbed it, a head and shoulders followed.<p>

"Were you _trying _to hit me?" Tamara smiled.

"No," Scrum smiled and waded out into the water, "I thought you bogged off."

Tamara shook her head and smiled at him, "How could I leave my jolly sailor bold," Scrum picked her up in his arms and kissed her.

"Where have you been?" Scrum asked, "Calypso said that you'd gone to go see your sisters or whatever."

Tamara jerked her head back towards the ocean, several other mermaids surfaced. Scrum's hold on Tamara tightened, "What are they doing here?"

"They're going to destroy the fountain," Calypso said, standing on the shore.

The mermaids bowed their heads in respect. Scrum looked down at Tamara, "Well that's all fine and dandy, but how are you going to do that?"

Tamara gave him a patronizing look, "Besides being a mermaid, I'm a _woman, _and I can do anything."

* * *

><p>"Jack, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Angelica whispered into Jack's ear.<p>

"Can you repeat the question?" Jack asked, looking down at the chalices. "Here, hold this for a second," Jack thrust one of the chalices at Angelica. He grabbed part of his shirt and rubbed some grime off of the chalice, he did the same with the one Angelica was holding. "Aqua…de Vida," Jack said slowly and clearly.

There was a giant rumble; Jack jumped backwards, accidently stepping on Angelica's foot. The crew stared up at the ceiling of the cave; a pool of water was forming. And then some bird from out of nowhere flew up to it and disappeared. Jack raised an eyebrow, "Interesting."

He motioned to one of the crew men, "Be a dear," the crew man nodded and got down on one knee.

Jack opened his eyes, he had previously shut them. Apparently he was standing in water and there was very thick fog rolling around. And smack dab in the middle was the fountain. Jack gave it a second look; he was expecting cherubs, gold, lots of tchotchkes, not something that looked like a stone wheel.

Angelica appeared at Jack's shoulder followed by Blackbeard. Jack side stepped slightly. Blackbeard headed straight for the fountain. Jack walked slowly behind him.

"Blackbeard," a voice rang out from somewhere in the fog.

Blackbeard reached for his sword, "Show yourself." Barbossa stepped towards them, his crew stood behind him with wide eyes.

"I'm going to assume you're the man with the one leg?" Angelica raised an eyebrow, "It's odd, I expected someone much more….impressive."

Barbossa sneered, "You'll see how impressive I am when you're father is dead."

Angelica drew her sword, "We'll see about that."

"Senior Barbossa, glad to see you've reached the fountain too." The pirates turned around, in addition to the English navy, the Spanish had turned up to.

Groves grabbed the British flag and stuck it in the ground, "This land is hereby and forever claimed in the glorious name of His Majesty, King George-"Groves stopped suddenly to look down at his chest, blood was blooming under his vest.

"Someone make a note of his bravery," the Spaniard turned to one of his men, "Men, only God can grant eternal life, not this heathen water! Destroy this blasphemous temple!"

* * *

><p>I promise a longer chapter after this one, it's just after writing about the Spaniard, I was like, and I kid you not: "Ugh, cannot write anymore, no more fight scenes…must get to Scrum and Tamara…-head desk then slides to the floor-"<p>

I'm not very well read in all this voodoo stuff, so I'm not sure if symbols were carved into people's flesh, I know the symbols would be carved/injected into a person's skin with some purple stuff from a plant with witchcraft, besides couldn't priestess and witches be friends?

But, I do know that Ghede Nibo is a voodoo god who looks after those who have died a violent death or those who are closest to death; if Scrum had died it would have been a violent death because getting sliced up by Blackbeard isn't exactly pleasant!

Clash of the titans was on, I felt compelled to put in a decapitation scene. Sorry!


	6. The Fountain of Youth

"How exactly do you plan on destroying the fountain?" Scrum asked.

"Scrum, do I have to spell everything out for you to understand?"

"It might be best my lady," One of the mermaids said.

"Destroying doesn't take much planning, we go to the temple, we destroy the fountain and anyone else who stands in our way then we go back to our merry little lives," Tamara said.

"You've been around Jack for too long, you're starting to sound like him," Scrum said and set Tamara down on the ground, "Um, how are your lovely, um…followers going to you know…"

Tamara looked over her shoulder at her sisters in the water, "Well obviously I can't go and get them," Tamara smiled at Scrum whilst giving him a look as if to say, _"Go do it and I won't kill you."_

Scrum sighed, "Fine," He waded out into the water; the mermaids shrank back for a second before looking to Tamara for reassurance. One of the mermaids held out her arms, Scrum picked her up lightly and deposited her on the shore next to Tamara.

Calypso came walking down to the beach after Scrum had repeated the process several times over with a bunch of clothes in her arms; the mermaids looked at it warily. "Come now Syrena, you can't go around in the human world naked." Calypso thrust a muslin dress at Tamara before tutting at Syrena; the second mermaid Scrum had picked out of the water, and forced a chemise over the girl's head. "Much better," Calypso said, Syrena obviously did not agree.

* * *

><p>Scrum set his drink down in front of him. He tried his best not to stare at the women in front of him but he found himself doing so anyway. Scrum felt as if he were in that story, the one with that man trying to get home after some war, washed up on, ironically, Calypso's island full of beautiful women and a beautiful goddess. Truth be told he actually wouldn't mind spending a few years here.<p>

Tamara looked around at her mermaids; they hanged their heads either out of shame or respect, Scrum couldn't tell.

"So what exactly have you been doing since my capture?" Tamara's voice seemed oddly strained.

"We attacked a ship the next day, it belonged to a one legged man," One of the mermaids sitting opposite Scrum said. She caught Tamara's eye for a second before dropping her gaze.

"I've heard of 'im, he's going after Blackbeard, isn't he?" Scrum asked, directing his question more to Calypso than the other women there. Tamara looked over at him, "I mean, I heard Jack talk about him."

"Yes, Barbossa. He is going after Blackbeard…and the Spanish." Calypso said.

"What has this Barbossa guy got against the Spanish?"

"He works for the King of England; therefore, he has a problem with anyone the crown has a problem with." Calypso answered, "I've never understood you humans. With your crowns and royalty, thinking you're better than the gods, you think you people would have learned something from Perseus…"

Scrum spat out his drink, "You mean he's real too?"

Calypso raised an eyebrow, "Am I real?"

"Yes…"

"Then there's your answer." Calypso smiled before turning her attention back to Tamara.

* * *

><p>Scrum woke up after taking a short nap. He stretched out on the cot in one of Calypso' many rooms leading off the main room. Scrum stiffened a yawn and looked out the window; Calypso was down by the beach with several of the mermaids, braiding one of the girl's hairs while the others stared up at her in rapture.<p>

The door opened loudly, Tamara poked her head round the door, "Oh good, you're awake, I was going to get you if you hadn't roused in the next half hour."

"Roused?" Scrum grabbed his shirt and shrugged it on. Tamara frowned at him, "Do you want some food?" Scrum nodded and followed her into the small kitchen area. Tamara picked up a jaw of preserves before turning around and smiling at Scrum. "I'm not sure-"

Scrum sighed dramatically and grabbed the jar, "What are you hungry for?" Tamara shrugged. Scrum turned his attention to the pantry, after looking around for a second he got out a hunk of bred, some cheese and two apple dumplings. "Tamara, how is it that Calypso just so happens to have all this stuff in her pantry?"

"She's a goddess Scrum; she can do anything she likes." Tamara grabbed some bread and ripped it apart with her teeth. Scrum watched her, she ate fruit almost lady like, but with bread, and probably meat, she used her fangs.

"What?" Tamara said through a mouthful of bread.

Scrum shook his head, "How can you be so graceful, yet so…vicious?"

Tamara frowned at him, "I'm hungry."

"I know but still-"

"Scrum, are you going to criticize me every time I do something? Because if you are."

"No no. You're just so interesting to watch." Scrum said quickly.

Tamara took another bite of bread. "None likes a, what do you call it? A-"

"Suck up? Kiss ass?"

"Yes those words. None likes one of them."

Scrum shrugged, "Ah, but love, it's true. You've stolen my heart and run off with it."

"I couldn't _really _steal your heart, could I? Because then you'd die." Tamara said point-blankly.

"Davy Jones lived without his heart; he put it in a chest and locked it away. But then Jack told me he found it and they all went through a pass the parcel type arrangement." Scrum said.

"How is "they" and what is pass the parcel?"

"They meaning a naval officer named Norrington, Jack, Gibbs, Barbossa, some woman named Elizabeth and some man who married Elizabeth and is the new captain of the _Flying Dutchman _named Will. And there are several others but I can't remember their names."

"Will? As in Will Turner?" Tamara asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"I've seen him," Tamara said proudly, "he's a great captain, unlike Davy, he's nice and compassionate to those who have died at sea."

"Like the men you snack on." Scrum said before he could stop himself.

Tamara threw a piece of bread at Scrum, it bounced off his chest, "The men who go looking for mermaids are _evil_."

"I'm not evil."

"Yes, but most of the men are."

Scrum leaned in close to Tamara, "Well thank god I'm not one of those men."

"Yes, thank god." Tamara moved closer to Scrum, inches away from him before smiling deviously and walking out of the room down to the beach.

* * *

><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack stumbled forward, "I just, I just need to understand. Right, so, you will fight against them," Jack pointed to the pirates then to the English, "And you," he pointed to the Spanish, "are going to fight these two?" Jack said pointing at the English and the pirates, "all on the count of him wanting to kill him?" this time he pointed to Blackbeard and Barbossa.<p>

The 3 groups shrugged their shoulders, "Exactly, where is the sense? I say let them fight each other while we all sit back, have a drink, aye?" Jack said.

"Aye," one of the pirates said and put his sword back into its scabbard.

Barbossa rolled his eyes, "Kill 'em all!"

* * *

><p>Tamara and her mermaid's heads appeared above the water. They stuck to the rock as close as possible so as not to be seen. However it was unlikely that they <em>would <em>be seen in the middle of this due to the massive three sided fight over the fountain.

Scrum nodded to Tamara then climbed out of the water and slipped into the fighting without any detection. A Spaniard came running at him but Scrum ran him through with his sword. Jack appeared next to him.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jack asked Scrum as he hacked down one of the English sailors.

"Busy getting stitched up by Calypso," Scrum grunted he resisted the urge to smack himself on the head, of course Jack would be the one to notice Scrum _not _join them in finding the fountain.

"Ah, Calypso, what a wonderfully macabre woman….next time you see her, give her my love."

"Where's Philip, he hasn't been killed yet has he?" Scrum looked around.

"No, just slapped around a couple of times though," Jack said nonchalantly.

Tamara managed to grab the attention of one of the Spanish sailors. He dropped down onto one knee near the water.

"You're a mermaid," He said with wide eyes.

"Yes," Tamara said, trying not to roll her eyes at his stupidity, if one more person said that to her, she would have to eat them.

"You're beautiful."

Tamara smiled up at him. The other mermaids surfaced close to Tamara. The sailor's jaw dropped, "There are more of you?"

"Lot's more," Tamara leaned in closer to the sailor; she placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him closer toward her. The mermaids all crept closer to him, not having eaten men since destroying Barbossa's crew and ship.

The Spanish sailor screamed but no one paid much attention to him when there were zombies hacking people down. Tamara's mermaids, sensing that it would not be as easy as it normally was to get dinner, crawled onto the shore, their tails turning into legs, shrugging on the wet chemises Scrum had carried in a satchel for them rather begrudgingly, and began strangling whomever they could find with their sea weed whips; Spaniard, English or pirate.

* * *

><p>Philip picked himself up slowly from the ground; the cabin boy had surprising strength for his age and was a prodigy with a sword. Philip patted his vest; the mermaid's phial was gone.<p>

"Damn that little bleeder," Philip cursed.

"What's this, the bible thumper is cursing, thought you weren't allowed to curse," Scrum said while plunging his sword into a Spanish sailor threatening to hack Philip to pieces.

Philip grabbed a sword from a corpse and slashed at the sailor's chest, "I'm sure God will forgive me for these sins."

Scrum located the cabin boy amidst the fighting. Scrum grabbed him by the collar, "The tear, hand it over."

"No," the cabin boy said and tried to thrust his sword into Scrum's torso.

"Philip," Scrum called over his shoulder, Scrum wrenched the phial out of the boy's grip while Philip held the boy's arms behind his back.

"Sparrow, the chalices!" Angelica yelled while fighting off an enemy. Jack threw them to her and continued fighting.

Scrum looked up and saw Angelica running for the fountain, he followed her. "The tear, if you would mate," Jack stepped in front of Scrum, Scrum shook his head.

"Please?" Jack asked.

"I'm more afraid of her than I am of you," Scrum said coolly. Jack lunged for Scrum and with an impromptu sword fight; Jack had the phial in his left hand.

Angelica turned around, "Jack, the tear," She had her sword pointed at his throat. Scrum did the same.

"Actually, the chalices if you please." Jack threw the phial into the air; Angelica caught it, but only by relinquishing her sword to get it. Jack threw Angelica's sword into the air, she in turn threw the chalices at Scrum and dived for her sword. Jack looked at Scrum before kicking the chalices out of his hands; it landed right behind the fountain.

All three of them looked at one another before scrabbling to get the chalices, Jack grabbed them a split second before Scrum could.

All while this was happening, the Spaniards had managed to bring cannons to the fountain and were starting to light them. The Spaniard stood there in the middle of the fighting looking positively bored with everything. He said something to one of his men who laughed and held up his hand, the Spanish would hold fire, for now.

Jack threw the chalices in Angelica's arms. The Spaniard started towards her, "Senorita, the chalices," the Spaniard held out a hand, Angelica stared blankly at him before two of the Spanish sailors forcibly took them from her.

"Only God can grant eternal life," The Spaniard said throwing the chalices to the ground, stamping on them and then kicking them into the water.

Tamara grabbed the chalices and smirked, her sisters wouldn't even have to destroy the fountain themselves. What a wonderful stroke of luck for her. She looked over her shoulder at her sisters; one of them was kneeling on the ground, panting heavily due to a large gash on her stomach. Tamara's smile was gone instantly, she hissed quietly.

The Spaniard looked down at her; Tamara sank down below the water "Ah, a mermaid," the Spaniard said, his men jumped into the water and grabbed Tamara by the arms before she could swim away. The Spaniard jumped into the water then walked up to Tamara; he looked at her with wide eyes.

"And the queen too," He caressed her cheek.

"Don't touch her!" Scrum yelled, the Spaniard turned around.

"She is a heathen creature, put her to test man's faith in God, she must be killed," The Spaniard pointed a gun to Tamara's head, she struggled and hissed.

"She's as much a heathen creature as I'm a fat lady, let her go!" Scrum yelled.

And then, with all the confusion of shoot the mermaid vs. don't shoot the mermaid, Barbossa had an opportune moment to stab Blackbeard while he had his back turned, and that was exactly what he did.

"What have you done?" Angelica screamed, Jack held her back from murdering Barbossa but it was proving to be difficult.

"You didn't think I'm come here without a little extra help, did you?" Barbossa said as he wiped his sword clean of Blackbeard's blood.

Blackbeard fell to his knees. The Spaniard raised an eyebrow then returned his attention to Tamara, "Perhaps we shouldn't kill her."

"Yes! That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Scrum said.

"Hm, I think she'd make a nice gift for our king," The Spaniard looked Tamara up and down, she spat in his face, "Or, perhaps not," He aimed his gun then shot her right through the heart. He motioned for his men, they fired their cannons at the fountain and chunks of rock went everywhere.

* * *

><p>Aw, I love Calypso in this chapter; she's like the mermaid's mother figure. By the way, Tamara is her favorite, they're the most alike in personality. Well, at least I think so.<p>

Interesting fact: The Brits feared uncooked fruits because they thought it could give one the plague, which of course is silly! I mean, you can't _really _get plague from eating uncooked fruit can you? It's spread by rats and other vermin, innit?


	7. Shipwreck Cove

The Spaniard turned on his heel and left, his men followed. Scrum ran to Tamara, he picked her up in his arms. "Angelica, I…we can't let her die." Scrum brushed back Tamara's hair back from her face; she was already looking pale, so very pale. He couldn't let her die, not just because Calypso would rip him apart if he let her die, but because well…he outright loved his little mermaid, despite her tendencies to play with his heart and insult him on occasion. It made Scrum love her all the more.

"No, my father is more important than any common mermaid," Angelica said, still trying to wriggle free of Jack's grip.

"She's isn't a common mermaid," Philip strode over to her and grabbed the phial, "Your fathers soul is not worth redemption." Gibbs ran to collect the chalices and handed them to Philip. He knelt down beside what remained of the fountain, fumbling with the phial for a second. It was impossible to tell which chalice held the tear and which was regular fountain water.

By this point, Barbossa was helping Jack hold Angelica back. "Feisty one, isn't she?" Jack said, half smiling.

"Sparrow, if you don't let me go, I swear I will kill you!"

"Someone take her sword," Barbossa said. One of his men ran forward.

Philip handed one of the chalices to Gibbs, "Give it to Blackbeard, make sure he drinks it." Gibbs nodded and pressed the chalice to the half dead Blackbeard's lips. Philip moved over to Scrum and Tamara.

Scrum grabbed the chalice from Philip. He helped Tamara hold the chalice, she spluttered once before downing it in one gulp. Scrum looked over at Gibbs, he nodded solemnly. Tamara touched her bullet hole gingerly; it was slowly starting to heal. Blackbeard crawled towards Philip; he jumped out of the way quickly.

Blackbeard stretched out a hand but it had started to turn into dust. Soon the rest of him started to turn to dust too, Angelica let out a cry of anguish. The only thing left of Blackbeard was his sword. Barbossa let go of Angelica's arm, grabbed the sword then promptly led his men out of the nightmarish hellhole.

Angelica punched Jack in the face, "You bastard! You just had to take my father away from me too! Didn't you? Didn't you?"

"Angelica, really, you're overreacting, he did threaten to shoot you after all," Jack said, holding up his hands.

"I don't care!" Angelica said, trying to lash out at Jack again but the revenge's crew grabbed her before she could do so.

Tamara looked up at Philip weakly, "Thank you," She whispered before closing her eyes and nuzzling up against Scrum's chest.

"You're welcome," Philip said solemnly.

* * *

><p>Tamara woke up uneasily in a room she didn't recognize. First off, she was lying in a bed, a rather soft bed; second, the room was painted deep red like blood and there were rather sinister looking objects. Tamara got to her feet slowly and opened the door; she didn't want to spend any more time in a room that looked, well <em>evil<em>. Well, she was in a ship, to be more specific, she was in the captain's quarters of a ship. Judging by the size and grandeur, a galleon at that.

Jack looked up from the maps spread on a desk, "Good to see your up love."

"What?" Tamara rubbed the back of her neck.

"Ah, well after the whole Fountain of Youth episode you sort of blacked out. Scrum suggested that we bring you back here, to the Revenge." Jack shrugged, "So we did. Angelica isn't too happy about it though…we sort of had to…sedate her a bit."

Tamara's eyebrows shot up. Barbossa brushed past her as he entered the room. For a man with a wooden leg, it was surprising how quiet he could be. Barbossa stormed up to Jack, "I be taking these, thank ye Jack. You good for nothing-" He grabbed the map out of Jack's hand and glared at him. "I am the captain of this ship."

"I think you'd have to answer to Angelica for that." Jack said grimly.

"That be precisely why we're letting you do the honors of marooning her, for her own good of course." Blackbeard studied the map carefully. "Ah, see here, we can make it to that island we left you on Jack. It's well supplied, traveled trade route-"

"Though completely devoid of rum." Jack interrupted.

"Excuse me, but what exactly is going on, where are my sisters?" Tamara asked.

"She cares more for her mermaids than she does for Scrum," Jack whispered to Barbossa.

"Yes, him to, where is he?"

"Relax love, the rest of your pretty little mermaids are out on the deck enjoying that lovely sea breeze. And last time I checked, Scrum was out with them making sure none of the other sailors touched them." Jack explained.

"Be a bit wary of the missionary though, what's his name?" Barbossa added.

"Philip."

"Yes, Philip. Kept looking over at the young one with the doe eyes. The one with the accent."

Tamara nodded, turned and left to go out onto deck. Sure enough, Philip was watching Syrena, from a distance and Scrum was giving anyone and everyone who came close to the mermaids the stink eye.

The mermaids bowed their heads in respect when they saw Tamara. Scrum turned around and smiled at her.

"Hey, when did you wake up?" Scrum asked.

"Just a few minutes ago," Tamara sat next to Scrum on an upturned barrel, "Do Jack and Barbossa _always _fight like that?"

"Oh yeah, they've been doing it for years apparently."

Tamara looked at her mermaids, "Oh, you girls are excused." She waved them off and sure enough, they stumbled down below decks, using each other and anything else they could find keep them from falling over.

"I've been trying to help them walk-" Scrum began.

"How long have I been unconscious for?" Tamara shrieked.

"Whoa, easy love. Just 2 days."

"2 days?"

"Why are you so upset?"

Tamara sighed, "Because, you have _no_ idea how stupid those girls are without me. They're like children."

"I don't think you give them enough credit. They seemed to do just fine by themselves," Scrum draped an arm across Tamara's shoulders.

"Perhaps, but not Syrena."

"The one with the doe eyes? Is she the youngest or something?" Scrum asked, "I still haven't gotten all of their names."

"Yes. The one with the doe eyes, she's the youngest you see. The poor girl is so easily swayed, so innocent…Have you seen the way Philip looks at her?" Tamara said in a low voice.

"I found it kind of hard to miss." Scrum admitted. "And besides, she's not _that _innocent, she can be rather, er, bitchy when she wants to be."

"I just don't want her getting involved with Philip. He'll fill her head with silly ideas and together they're just so….ignorant. They could walk into a bloody minefield and think that they were going on some lovely picnic."

Scrum raised an eyebrow at her, "Well, Philip _was_ tied up to the mast until Jack cut him loose."

Tamara snorted with laughter, "And how exactly did the man of god end up tied to the mast?"

"Oh, you know him, he doesn't filter what he says at all."

"Gets him into a lot of trouble doesn't it?"

"Yep." Scrum pulled Tamara closer to him and together they watched everyone else on board run around doing their jobs.

* * *

><p>"One pistol." Jack the the pistol down next to Angelica, "One shot."<p>

"To kill myself before I starve?" Angelica yelled angrily.

"There's no trusting you love. Besides, this is a well-traveled trade route." Jack said pleasantly as if commenting on the weather.

"And how will I get free of these bonds?"

"You broke free of your bonds half an hour ago, waiting for the precise moment to pounce." Jack turned around to grab the oar Angelica was about to club him over the head with and gave her a stern look.

"Admit it Jack, you still love me." Angelica said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"If you had a sister and a dog, I'd choose the dog." Jack turned to leave.

"Wait, Jack," Angelica grabbed his arm, "I am with child. Yours."

Jack pulled a face, "I don't recall we ever-"

"You were drunk!"

"I've actually never been _that _drunk." Jack sauntered back to the dingy.

"Wait! There's something I've wanted to tell you since the moment I saw you: I love you." Angelica looked up at Jack with an innocent expression.

"As do I. Always have, always will." Jack said and leaned in closer to her, their lips brushing before: "I gotta go." Jack said quickly then got into the dingy.

"Jack!" Angelica yelled angrily. "This is not over! Jack!" Angelica grabbed the pistol and shot it at Jack.

"Missed." Jack said nonchalantly as he continued rowing back to the _Revenge_. Angelica screamed a mixture of Spanish and English from the shore at him.

* * *

><p>Tamara raised an eyebrow. "Scrum, I honestly don't think that would work. I belong in the sea and you…"<p>

"And I?"

"You are a sailor, you wouldn't be happy without a boat or a money trail."

"Money trail? I don't care about money."

"Then how would you afford your rum?" Tamara shook her head.

Scrum ran his hands through his hair and thought in silence for a second. "There's always Shipwreck cove. Jack told me about it."

"Shipwreck cove? You pirates have no imagination do you?"

"Well, whatever." Scrum sighed, "Anyway, it's in this old volcano and well, it's built out of ships. It's an island made out of ships, so, I could be with you and you could still be close to the sea. So it's a win win for everyone."

"Except that that place is crawling with pirates and you men aren't exactly stone cold sober for most of the time-"

"What are you? Oh." Scrum said, then realized. A pretty girl in Shipwreck cove had to watch her step all the time in Shipwreck. Hell, even an ugly girl had to watch her step.

Tamara looked at him sadly, "I'll go with you to see it, but I'm not promising that I'll stay there with you."

Scrum picked her up and hugged her tightly. "Scrum, let go," Tamara wheezed.

* * *

><p>Tamara leaned against the gunwale on the upper decks of <em>The Revenge<em>, Barbossa glanced at her before returning his attention to manning the ships' wheel.

"You're very quiet today." Barbossa noted.

"So is everyone else. Where exactly _is _Shipwreck cove?" Tamara asked, quick to change the subject.

Barbossa pointed to an opening in a cliff far ahead them. "Can't have it anywhere it'd be easily found." He said, noting the look on Tamara's face. "It be hard to sail through, very few ships are lucky to make it through without a few scratches."

"Is that why the men are all quiet?"

"Aye."

Tamara looked at the cavern looming above them. It was appropriately named, stalactites hanged down from the ceiling looking like the Devil's teeth. Bits of wood lay here and there along the throat. Tamara's mermaids looked at it curiously before murmuring amongst themselves.

Jack appeared at Tamara's side. "Scrum's not very happy about all this. Won't come up below, even when I told him you wanted to see him."

"I don't want to if he's going to act like a little child." Tamara's mermaids giggled when she said that.

"He _is _worried about you," Syrena said, "He's afraid that he'll lose you, perhaps if you were to talk to him-"

"Syrena, I forbid you from spending anymore time with Philip. I do not need your head being filled with anymore nonsense than it is already." Tamara said sternly. She turned her attention back to Jack. "I'm not going to leave him, but I don't like the sound of Shipwreck cove… it sounds…"

"Nasty? Eh, it's alright once you get used to it, I was raised there you know."

"Doesn't that say everything?"

* * *

><p>Scrum was in fact, down below decks. He outright refused to see Tamara, or anyone else for that matter. He knew deep down that Tamara would not be happy in Shipwreck cove nor would she be happy with any other idea that Scrum came up with to keep them together. However this seemed to be the only answer to their predicament.<p>

Syrena's big brown eyes appeared above Scrum's head. Scrum started, "Jesus Christ girl, give a man a warning."

"Philip has been teaching me about this Jesus Christ, is it true that he walked on water?"

"Yeah sure, whatever." Scrum hauled himself off his hammock and stretched.

"Tamara has been asking for you."

"Has she now?"

"She is worried about you. She thinks you're depressed."

Scrum sighed. "I'm not depressed, I'm just-"

"Worried?" Syrena said helpfully.

"Yes, worried."

Syrena shook her head. "She won't leave you Scrum. I know that you both love each other very deeply, although both of you are too proud to say it."

"She will leave. That's just me luck in life. I finally get a good thing going and then it's gone." Scrum grabbed a nearby bottle of rum.

"You think that she would come here if she would just leave you. No. You are not like most men, greedy yes, you are that, but you are not compliant. No man has ever said no to Tamara before."

"That's because she ate most men before they had the chance." Scrum pointed out.

"Ah, yes, but you grabbed her and pulled her out of the sea. You claimed her as your own, and Calypso has chosen you."

"Oh don't go on about some damn prophecy." Scrum walked into the ship's galley, Syrena followed.

"No, there is no prophecy, I just mean that it's like the two of you are meant to be."

"Syrena, why don't you do me a favor and go tell this all to Philip." Scrum said angrily. Syrena frowned for a second before turning on her heel and marching away.

* * *

><p>Shipwreck cove was exactly what Jack and Barbossa had described to Tamara; a city made out of boats. Spanish galleons, sloops, carracks, there were even a few rafts here and there, but the whole place was made out of boats. In the dark it looked almost like a Christmas tree with all of its lights. Tamara stared at a figure head of an angel as they sailed past.<p>

"I've always wondered what it's like to fly." Tamara mumbled to herself.

"It's not very fun, believe me." Jack said and looked around nervously.

"Is something wrong Jack?" Tamara touched Jack's arm.

"It's nothing really; I just owe a few sailors some money. Well that and there's _Teague_." Jack said quietly, "This place doesn't harbor very fond memories for me love." Jack gulped. Tamara followed his gaze to a man standing on the docks. He was wearing a hat that was even larger than the one Barbossa wore. He had a red coat with ornate stitching, various objects braided into his hair, and enough gold on his fingers to keep himself drunk with rum for a month. He looked like an older version of-

"Jack, he's not-"

"Yes, that is my father, Captain Teague, keeper of the code."

* * *

><p>Teague looked at Tamara over his goblet of wine. "So, you're what a mermaid looks like?"<p>

Tamara straightened up slightly. "What a _queen _looks like." She spat back. They were presently sitting in the captain quarters of Teague's ship. He had insisted that he be allowed to give Tamara her first drink in Shipwreck cove, although so far it hadn't been a very pleasant experience.

Tamara cast a wary eye around the quarters, they weren't much better than the _Revenge_'s. Albeit there weren't any voodoo things lying around but there was a taxidermied monkey in the corner of the room wearing feathers around its neck and the place was rather gaudy for Tamara's taste. Jack himself looked sorely tempted to grab one of the many guitars from off the wall and smash Teague around the head with it.

"So, Jacky here caught himself a queen. Well I must say boy, I'm rather proud of you." Teague said, although he didn't smile or sound proud at all.

Tamara resisted the urge to tell Teague that it was actually Scrum that did the catching but thought better of it. She lifted her goblet of wine to her lips and tipped it back, but didn't drink any of it.

* * *

><p>Scrum rubbed his eyes blearily. A considerable amount of time had passed since he walked into the tavern and ordered rum but he couldn't honestly remember much at that point in time. His drinking partner, a French man rather ornately dressed, even by pirate standard named Christophe had been supplying him with rum whilst he eyed up wenches and Scrum poured out his story.<p>

Christophe took a swig of rum, "Ah, you caught yourself a little mermaid? And Jack (which he pronounced Jacques) is back in Shipwreck cove?"

Scrum nodded, "But you're French right?"

"Yes."

"Well, my mermaid, I don't think she likes me very much." Scrum said sadly. "I just can't tell if she's waiting to kill me and eat me. I mean, that's what mermaids normally do."

"But you've saved her from several perils already, how could a woman not love you for that?" Christophe asked. Scrum raised an eyebrow and pointed to his own face.

At that moment, Jack casually sauntered in with Tamara holding onto his arm. She spotted Scrum and Christophe and immediately made a b line over to them.

"Scrum, why have you been avoiding me?" Tamara puffed up.

"Ah, this is the mermaid?" Christophe's eyes widened.

"Yes." Scrum said, trying to avoid Tamara's gaze.

"You think you can just come to Shipwreck cove and think that it's appropriate to stay in the bottom of a rum barrel?" Tamara asked hotly, "Have you any idea how I've felt about this?"

Scrum shook his head. Tamara's eyes narrowed dangerously. She pulled a chair from a nearby table swung it around and sat down, facing Scrum. "I'll tell you then: I'm absolutely disgusted at you!" Scrum shrank back against his seat, Christophe quickly got up and joined Jack at the bar. "How dare you pull the "poor pity me" card! If you had just talked to me and told me how you were feeling we wouldn't even need this conversation!" Tamara breathed heavily.

"You don't understand." Scrum said in a small voice.

"I don't understand what?" Tamara asked trying to keep herself from screaming again.

"Everyone in my life has left me at some point or another. My father left when I was just a lad, then my mother a few years later. That's why I worked on ships; it was that or the workhouse." Scrum looked up at Tamara, "And on ships, you'll be there one day and gone the next. As soon as I got to finally liking someone, they'd be off somewhere else. And there was this one girl I liked, met her in Port Royal, Caroline, her name was…I thought I was in love with her, but…" Scrum shook his head, played me for a fool."

Tamara raised an eyebrow, "That's all very touching Scrum. But as you know, I don't shed tears like you humans do."

"But you forgive me right?"

"Perhaps."

Scrum smiled at her before resting his head on his arms and falling asleep right there. Tamara rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>In closing, no, Tamara does not trust her mermaids as far as she can throw them, which should be far considering she's a mermaid and all, but still, if it weren't for her they'd all be dead. Probably. Anyway I like to think that Syrena is the youngest of the mermaids and that' why she saved Philip from the explosion. She's sort of naïve and a big cheerleader for love.<p>

Scrum has abandonment issues and trust issues while we're at it. But yeah, sailors didn't stay very long on one ship whether it be better pay or because they met a girl or because the ship was looted by pirates. =P

Christophe is character of A.C. Crispin, who wrote the Price of Freedom, a potc book. Spoiler, Christophe dies, but I need a malicious character so in this little story, Christophe never died.

Also, me apologies for the lack of updating, I have not in fact dropped off the ends of the world (and into Davy's locker) but heat waves + computers = lots of computer crashes.


	8. Jolly Sailor Bold

Marie stood on tiptoe, trying to reach a glass tankard on the top shelf. Tamara reached out and grabbed the glass for her.

"Thank you," the pregnant woman said gratefully in a slight French accent, "Steve always forgets I'm smaller than him."

"Anytime," Tamara smiled.

During the pirates visit to Shipwreck cove, Scrum and Jack (as well as Philip and Syrena on occasion) had been touring the pirate island to be sure if this really _was _the answer to Scrum and Tamara's big problem. Tamara had been thankful that Jack had been leading the tours, Scrum had only been once before, and that had not been a particularly long visit. Shipwreck cove was full of twists and turns and little hidey holes, it was easy to get lost. However due to the EITC hunkering down on the colonies' trade routes; piracy was beginning to become a problem for the EITC and pirates alike. The EITC would not risk such important goods being shipped left carefully unguarded and the pirates would not risk losing their ships and men to the EITC's forces. But they also could not miss on cashing in on all the trading going on.

So, another Brethren court had been called. Jack and Barbossa by Brethren law had to attend until the court reached a decision and by tradition their posse of pirates had to attend as well. That and the fact that it was usual for pirates to get into fisticuffs and gunfights, so there always needed to be backup pirates in case one of the lords needed to pass on their lordship on their deathbed.

Jack had suggested to Tamara that a "certain little French lady" would be more than happy to show Tamara around. It turned out that Marie was a barmaid at the tavern where Tamara had found Scrum drinking himself into oblivion. Tamara and Marie had, blessedly gotten on like a house on fire right from the beginning. Perhaps it was because Marie was not a stereotypical woman of the 18th century or perhaps it was because the two women were used to dealing with pirates every day, whatever the case, the two of them could be found wandering the "streets" of Shipwreck Cove together before the tavern had to open, chatting about everything and nothing in particular.

* * *

><p>Scrum walked into the empty tavern, which was rather unusual for Shipwreck cove at this time of night. He had heard what sounded like a woman sobbing coming from somewhere within and had decided to investigate. Scrum's stomach lurched. Tamara was curled up behind the bar with a broken bottle of rum clutched in her hand and her dress ripped savagely.<p>

"Tamara?" Scrum asked.

She looked up at him, her eyes half wild. "What happened?" Scrum asked, hopping over the bar and pulling his coat over her shoulders.

"Christophe," She managed to say after dry sobbing for several more minutes. "He came in here when I was helping Marie, you know, because she's pregnant and all, I thought because Philip goes on about being nice to people I could give it a try. But Christophe came in and told Marie that Steve needed help down at the docks getting the rum supply. I wanted to go with her, but Christophe said Steve wanted me to look after the tavern."

Scrum's hold on Tamara tightened, he didn't like where the story was going.

"And…and as soon as she left Christophe came towards me and I told him to let me alone. He-he wouldn't, he tried to and grabbed me, so I grabbed the bottle and s-smashed him over the head with it. I threatened to glass him with it and then Christophe left after that, he called me all sorts of names first." Tamara gulped for air.

"That bastard," Scrum growled, getting up from the floor but Tamara held him back.

"You mustn't! I don't need you to go fighting my battles for me."

"But I_ want_ to. I doubt you're the first woman he tried to do that to and you sure as hell won't be the last." Scrum wrenched free of Tamara's grip.

"Where are you going?" Tamara asked, climbing over the bar and following Scrum out of the tavern.

"I'm going to find Christophe and make him a eunuch."

"I just told you that you can't!" Tamara grabbed Scrum's arm and turned him to look at her. "If you do then everyone will know that he almost overpowered me and a mermaid overpowered has no honor."

"And if she has no honor then she has no rule?" Scrum asked her. Tamara nodded her eyes full of fear. "You know that honor isn't everything?"

"It is to me Scrum."

Scrum sighed and wrapped his arms around Tamara. "I'm sorry about all of this. I sort of knew that Shipwreck wasn't going to work, I really wanted it to but…I think I've put you and all of your mermaids at risk brining you here."

"We're mermaids Scrum, we can han-"Tamara began to say.

"You can't handle everything. Sometimes even you need help Tamara." Scrum said sternly. "I just don't want this happening again. _Ever_."

Tamara wriggled out of Scrum's grip. "What are you trying to say, you can't stop all the men in the world from acting upon their urges."

Scrum shook his head. "What I'm trying to say is, love that I think it'd be best if you went back to the sea. It's far too dangerous above land. Remember what Blackbeard tried to do?"

Tamara's jaw fell open. "I…I don't want to leave. You cannot make me Scrum. I am a queen, I do what I want."

"No, not for me, for your sisters, for your own safety," Scrum said and walked out of the tavern. Tamara followed him, positively fuming. She grabbed his arm and spun him round to face her.

"Scrum," She said then sighed. "I love you. Honestly I do. I've never felt such a swell of emotion for anything before. I cannot leave you just because you think it is my honor telling me not to do so. I cannot leave because it'd hurt too much."

Scrum stood there for a moment, dumfounded. "I love you too. I thank God every day for giving you to me but I know you're not happy on land. I'm a sailor, true and true," Scrum lead her down to the docks. Several of the mermaids that they passed on the way down to the docks had followed them, keeping a respectful distance from Tamara, waiting for her to make a decision, "We'll always have the sea."

Tamara's eyes narrowed, "What about Syrena? You want to wrench her away from Philip too? Just for her safety?"

One of the mermaids stepped forward. "Tamara, Syrena has told me before, she does not want to come back with us. She's told us of plans for her and Philip's future."

Another mermaid nodded. "He wants to live near a parish and take her to church-"

Scrum scoffed. The mermaid shot him a look but continued, "Every Sunday and move back to England with her."

"A church by the Sea. They will get married too, I expect." The first mermaid said. The other mermaids nodded too, as if the idea of Philip and Syrena's possible future was the most romantic thing they had ever heard.

Tamara gave a short nod. "Then Syrena may be given that. I trust that none of my other sisters have become smitten by men?" The mermaids shook their heads. "Good. Then say your goodbyes, we go back to the sea in the morning." Tamara turned to Scrum and touched his face lovingly. "My jolly sailor bold," She whispered to him, "I will love you forever," Tamara stopped and kissed Scrum on the lips softly.

* * *

><p>Scrum sat on the end of the pier where <em>The Queen Anne's Revenge <em>was docked. Jack sauntered up next to him and sat down. He held out a bottle of rum, Scrum took it thankfully.

"So, she's gone?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Scrum replied, staring at the water so he didn't have to look at Jack.

"Well," Jack clapped Scrum on the shoulder, "That's life, you win some, and you lose some. Aye, but that'll be a story to tell your grandchildren, that is. That you fell in love with the queen of the mermaids." Jack said, slightly drunk already and was swaying slightly.

Scrum shot him a look. "Just wish Christophe wouldn't have ruined everything. If I ever find him, I'm going to, I'm going to-"

"Ah, yes, about him. I heard that he left after he erm, you know, didn't even stop to see if all his crew was back or anything. Just high tailed it. I guess he didn't want to know what we'd do to him if we found him."

"What do you mean we?" Scrum asked.

"No one told you about the time _I _was with a mermaid?" Jack looked surprised. Scrum shook his head. "Oh, well it's this great story, see. And it all happened while I was looking for the Sword of Cortes, I'll get to that but first-"

* * *

><p>A sailor stared out at the ocean, squinting at the sunset ahead of him for a moment before he put to sea in a small dingy. He rowed out for what seemed an hour and then suddenly stopped right there in the middle of the ocean. He grabbed the lantern he had brought with him and a flint. The sailor set the now burning lantern in the prow of the dingy. He sat back and sang in a very small, quiet voice:<p>

"_Come all you pretty fair maids, wherever you may be, who love a jolly sailor bold that ploughs a raging sea."_

The sailor rubbed his good eye blearily and continued to sing.

Much, much later, the sailor was slumped over the side of the boat, gazing into the water, still singing to himself but his voice was hoarse by now. Suddenly a ripple disturbed the water. The sailor sat up instantly and looked quickly around him; he had defiantly seen a tail. It was roughly the same size as a dolphin's tail, but much sleeker and shinier.

"Are you my jolly sailor bold?" A voice called behind him.

The sailor whipped around quickly, there with her arms up on the edge of the boat, was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen with incredibly long blonde hair and big blue eyes. She smiled cheekily up at him. "Are you the one who sings?"

"Aye," the sailor said, blushing slightly.

The mermaid, for that was what she must have been, that far out to sea, began to sing. "My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold, there is nothing that can console me, but my jolly sailor bold." She wrapped her arms around the sailor's neck and pulled him closer to her, kissing him roughly on the lips.

"I have missed you." She told him when she broke the kiss.

"So have I." The sailor confessed.

The mermaid smiled up at him one last time before she pulled the sailor down into the water with her.

* * *

><p>And that's the end. A sort of ambiguous ending but I will rule out one of them: no, Tamara did not eat Scrum.<p>

Thanks to every one for reading and reviewing, especially MissAnnalise, without said person's help, this story would not be finished.

Marie and Steve again, A.C. Crispin's characters, just borrowing!


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